All posts by h716a5.icu

A new king has risen at Liverpool.

After Mohamed Salah’s failed to retain his majestic touch from last season, new #10 Sadio Mane’s taken up the mantle to keep the fireworks blaring at Anfield. If the Reds are going to win this title, it’ll be because of the former Southampton forward, just as much as Virgil van Dijk.

Indeed, the 26-year-old has been in impeccable touch in recent weeks, with his hunger for goals reaching a whole new level. The Senegalese forwards recently grabbed all the spotlight for himself thanks to scoring crucial goals and getting Liverpool out of tight situations, but he’s been doing some sensational work throughout the season.

After a tricky patch for his side, his stunning hat-trick against Watford last month will live long in the memory.

However, it’s not like his work hasn’t gone unnoticed, as Real Madrid are now willing to cash in for his services. According to reports from France Football Zinedine Zidane’s made him a top priority for the summer transfer window. Speculation it may be, but even speculation should keep Jurgen Klopp on edge.

Luis Suarez proved that, even after a stunning season for Liverpool and one taking them with an inch of the title, the allure of Spanish giants Barcelona or Madrid themselves make it pretty much impossible for Premier League clubs to keep their best players. Think of Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano and even the old enemy – Cristiano Ronaldo – in that regard.

Still, he simply cannot afford to lose Sadio Mane after witnessing his star man rise through this season. If Liverpool have to shell out a bigger salary on a renewed contract, then so be it. They must give him the world.

Mane’s scored 21 goals in all competitions this season, even more than the Egyptian magician. He’s done so in pressure situations and inherited a style no opposition has been able to deduce.

Losing him would be as big a loss as not winning the Premier League this season, as Klopp needs to do his best in keeping his crown jewel happy over the next months.

Liverpool fans, are you worried about the rumours linking Mane to Real Madrid? Join the discussion by commenting below. 

[ad_pod ]

Freddie Woodman has been called up to the England under-21 squad despite the fact he is yet to play a single minute of Premier League football this season.

What’s the word?

Newcastle United’s back-up goalkeeper has been bookmarked as one for the future, but his development is likely to be stunted by his lack of first-team opportunities.

The 22-year-old has made just three appearances for the first-team this season, all of which arrived in the FA Cup.

According to Chronicle Live, Woodman wants a loan move away from the club, but there is plenty of reason to suggest that he should be looking for a permanent move instead.

 Dubravka shall not be moved

The decision to sign Martin Dubravka on an initial loan deal in January 2018 arrived as a surprise to the Magpies faithful. The Slovakia international was something of an unknown entity when he left Sparta Prague for the North East, but his performances since arriving at the club have justified what now looks like a genius decision from the club.

Dubravka has established himself as a first-team regular and a firm favourite amongst the St James’ Park faithful. As much as the fans want Woodman – a player who has risen through the academy ranks on Tyneside – to succeed, it’s difficult to see how he fits into the picture at present.

At just 30-years-old there is no rush to replace Newcastle’s number one and he could yet enjoy another half decade at the club, so Woodman should push for a permanent move in the summer window to breathe new life into his stuttering career.

It has been a great start to the Steve Bruce era at Hillsborough, hasn’t it Owls fans?

The 58-year-old replaced Jos Luhakey as manager in January and since taking charge of his first fixture last month, Sheffield Wednesday have yet to lose.

Currently on an unbeaten run of ten games, the Owls are just two points behind the play-off positions yet in order for them to complete a remarkable turn around this season, one player in particular will have to finally step up to the plate.

A graduate of Newcastle United’s academy, Rolando Aarons was seemingly destined for great things after demonstrating an incredible level of talent as a teenager. The Jamaican-born winger debuted for the Magpies in an away defeat at Manchester City in 2014 and later scored his first ever goal for the club in what was a sensational individual performance against Crystal Palace.

However, his early promise was hampered significantly by a plethora of injury problems which limited him to just 21 appearances over three seasons.

Two largely unsuccessful loan spells at Hellas Verona and Slovan Liberec in the past year has done nothing to help Aarons’ hopes of returning to the top level of football yet January’s move to Wednesday could provide the necessary conditions for him to blossom.

Playing under an experienced English manager in Bruce, the winger will undoubtedly learn and develop as a player if he continues to illustrate the correct attitude needed to be a success in the Championship. Furthermore, a consistent level of playing time will give Aarons the confidence that could be beneficial for both himself and the Owls.

An extremely gifted player on his day, the 23-year-old ace could embark on a purple patch of form which would help his side reach the play-offs at the end of the season.

However, if he doesn’t step up and deliver, Aarons will know that his time in the higher tiers of English football could be over, leading to his career to fade away after initially being considered as one of the country’s brightest young prospects.

What do you think Wednesday fans? Could Aarons lead you to an unlikely play-off berth? Or are there other players who also need to step-up in the final eight fixtures? Let us know below.

Everton are facing another busy transfer window after a disappointing first season under Marco Silva and former Arsenal drivel Theo Walcott could be axed to make way for necessary fresh talent.

Theo Walcott hasn’t enjoyed much football of late with Marco Silva opting to promote youth instead of relying on his old guard, and if recent reports are correct, could be on his way out of Goodison Park after just 18 months at the club (as per the Mirror).

We think it’s fair to say that Walcott’s brief and uneventful stint at Everton won’t be mourned if he’s moved on this summer. Having made just 16 minutes from the bench since the Merseyside derby and last netting in August, there’s literally nothing the former Arsenal man can possible offer, other than perhaps 13 years of wasted potential, to a progressive Everton side.

This follows news that director of football Marcel Brands has announced his intention to adopt a policy of signing players under the age of 25 for his squad – and current players will be sacrificed to make it happen.

Brands said: “We see if a player can fit the Everton environment, in the team we have, in our style and we try to do that in a particular age.

“The players we brought in last year were all under 25, so we don’t want to invest big money in players who are older. Everton is a club that also has to sell players, so it is necessary to get younger players to invest in.

“That’s why we invested in young players last summer. Digne was 24, Mina 23, Richarlison 21, so we look to players in age group 20-25, 26.”

Walcott, who’s already competing for a place against a plethora of young talent, including Bernard, Richarlison and Ademola Lookman, all of whom are younger qualify for Everton’s policy, is a sad and unwanted relic of the Allardyce era, and with a contract said to be worth in excess of £100,000 a week, will surely be at the top of Everton’s hitlist.

Everton fans, who would you like to see at your club if Walcott is sold? Let us know in the comments below…

[ad_pod ]

Leeds fans have been clamouring for Izzy Brown to get a chance in the first team after a good performance for the under 23s against Ipswich on Monday.

Brown impressed a number of Leeds supporters with his performance against Ipswich’s U23s which left several of them calling for him to be given more first-team opportunities under Marcelo Bielsa.

The Chelsea loanee has suffered an injury-plagued season which has led to him making only one appearance for Leeds so far. Brown is now back fit but is still having to play youth football, a decision which has many Leeds fans scratching their heads.

Brown had previously been an important player at Huddersfield Town during their promotion campaign and he also has Premier League experience after spending the 2017/18 season on loan with Brighton.

The 22-year-old clearly has the talent to be an important player at any Championship club and Leeds fans want to see him given more of an opportunity as we approach the business end of the season.

Here’s what Leeds fans have been saying on Twitter…

[ad_pod ]

According to The Mirror, Tottenham Hotspur could move for Leicester City’s James Maddison in this summer’s transfer window.

Christian Eriksen will see his contract at Tottenham expire in June 2020 and the Denmark international has been strongly linked with a move away from the club.

According to The Mirror, should Eriksen depart, Spurs will consider making a bid to sign Maddison from Leicester.

The 22-year-old joined the Foxes from Norwich City last summer.

He has scored seven times and registered six assists in 32 Premier League appearances during the 2018-19 campaign.

There is absolutely no question that the attacker is a talent, but the Tottenham fans are split when it comes to his potential arrival.

Indeed, whilst some want Maddison to arrive this summer, others are not convinced that he would be the right replacement for Eriksen.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

It must be hard for any ardent Celtic fan reading this to admit but Kieran Tierney might be too good for the Scottish Premiership. 

However, it’s now his decision which path he wants to take to success. The young left-back is seemingly the hot topic when it comes to Celtic, as he’s being eyed for a summer move to the big leagues (linked with the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal by the Sun earlier this season) following another prolific season with the Hoops.

Even Celtic legend Frank McAvennie (via Express) believes he should move to the Premier League and choose Manchester United – a club he’s been linked with for over a year now – ahead of anyone else. With a host of top sides allegedly on his tail, he now needs to make a big decision. The industrial defender’s heart is seemingly set on Celtic, the club he supported as a boy and who gave him the spotlight in the first place, but temptation has changed many minds.

However, before any decision, Tierney needs to reevaluate his position at a big club. What’s the point in moving on from a place he could guarantee iconic status at just to sit on the bench elsewhere? Despite McAvennie’s belief that the Scotsman could replace him, there is the small matter of Luke Shaw.

Yes, the former Southampton teenager has struggled with form and fitness in equal measure since his move to Old Trafford in 2014 but he recently penned a long-term deal at the Theatre of Dreams and looks to be a regular under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

That probably means Tierney rarely gets to start, only making a few appearances here and there. For such an ambitious, passionate footballer, that would destroy his career.

Tierney’s performance-level is too high to be considered as the second option. Even this season, he’s assisted 5 times in the Premiership and helped Celtic keep 12 clean-sheets in 20 appearances (stats via Transfermarkt).

If the Scottish left-back wants to make big strides to become a world-class defender, remaining as a backup option will be futile. Tierney’s got some decisions to make in the summer, but going with the wrong option can undo everything he’s achieved at Celtic.

He might be too good for the Scottish league but he’s far too good to sit on the bench elsewhere. A weird kind of limbo and one Celtic fans will be desperate favours them.

Celtic fans, do you think Tierney should make the big jump soon? Join the discussion by commenting below…

[ad_pod ]

Newcastle United have promised Rafael Benitez a transfer budget of £50million if he signs a new contract at the club, per The Independent.

The Magpies manager’s contract expires at the end of the season and he has yet to commit to new terms.

What’s the word?

The report claims that the Spaniard and the club are currently locked in a stand-off over his new contract.

Newcastle are set to change their transfer policy, it states, and will look to sign young players, a plan that Benitez does not favour.

The Spaniard has reportedly been promised a sum of £50m to spend on the squad, however, as the club look to tie him down to fresh terms.

Benitez has been at St James’ Park since 2016, even taking the club to the Championship title after their relegation.

The club have three games to play, against Brighton & Hove Albion, Liverpool and Fulham. A win over the Reds, of course, could hand the title to Manchester City, with Benitez potentially coming back to haunt the club with whom he won the Champions League in 2005.

Give him whatever he wants

Benitez is the best manager Newcastle have had this decade.

He is a genuinely world-class tactician and has a European pedigree that has seen him boss the likes of Liverpool, Real Madrid and Chelsea.

That he went down with Newcastle and managed them in the Championship should prove his devotion to the cause.

Owner Mike Ashley, then, needs to put his hand in his pocket and ensure that Benitez is given the resources he needs.

Newcastle have the infrastructure to be a top-eight club, and they have the manager too.

Ashley now needs to prove that he is ready to fund that push, otherwise he risks losing the Magpies’ finest boss in years.

[ad_pod ]

Loads of Sunderland fans have been saying the same thing after Roy Keane appeared on Sky Sports on Wednesday – we want him back!

Keane was a member of Sky Sports’ pundit team for the Manchester derby on Wednesday, and the Irishman reminded everyone exactly how entertaining he is.

The 47 year-old was visibly bemused by both the sheer gulf in class between the two Manchester clubs as well his fellow pundits’ verdicts on the situation at Old Trafford.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals why Tyne-Wear is a more intense derby than anything London can offer – check out the video below….

And amongst all the eye-rolling and scathing comments, Sunderland fans were reminded of his days in charge at the Stadium of Light.

Between 2006 and 2008, Keane won 42 out of 100 games in charge, winning the Championship title in 2006-07 and earning himself the league’s manager of the year award.

His no-nonsense approach to man-management was a breathe of fresh air in a modern football world where players are often allowed to do as they please, and fans are missing his leadership.

That is not to say they are unhappy with the fantastic revival job Jack Ross is doing, but the Twitter reactions down below are clearly missing Keane more than they love Ross…

[ad_pod ]

Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter in disbelief after the Daily Mail revealed that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes he doesn’t need to sign a new centre-back this summer.

The Red Devils are perhaps at their weakest in the centre of defence, where players such as Phil Jones, Eric Bailly and Marcos Rojo have done little to show that they can be depended on consistently.

Who would win out of Man Utd’s treble winners and Man City today? Fans discuss in the video below…

Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof are arguably the club’s two best options in that department, but even then the pair of them have struggled to strike up a partnership formidable enough to keep the goals out.

Jose Mourinho was famously desperate to sign a centre-back in his final transfer window at the club before his sacking, and much was made of his deteriorating relationship with Ed Woodward after no new additions were made in central defence.

Almost a year on from that window, Solskjaer and Woodward’s belief that the club still don’t need a new centre-back has sparked outrage from the United supporters on Twitter…